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More than the midpoint of the season, Brentford are in a dream scenario.

Following victories in their last five outings, and a Brazilian striker scoring the goals, suddenly supporters are dreaming of thoughts of trips to Milan, Munich and Barcelona next season.

A convincing three-nil win over the Black Cats moved their manager's side into the fifth spot in the Premier League – a position that was good enough to secure European football last season.

Solely table-toppers the Gunners have accumulated more points over the past half-dozen matches.

There's a significant distance to go yet but the West London outfit are squarely in the race for continental football.

No one was predicting this last summer.

Thomas Frank had departed for Tottenham after seven years in charge, a period in which he had not only guided the club to the Premier League but also cemented them in the top flight.

Skipper Christian Norgaard left for Arsenal and attacking duo two key forwards – who scored a total of thirty-nine goals in the previous campaign – were out the door, joining United and Newcastle respectively.

Set-piece coach Keith Andrews was elevated to succeed Frank, while there was a notable absence of a centre-forward among the summer signings.

A year of struggle, possibly even the drop, was widely predicted. But here we are in the new year with the club in the upper echelons.

So, what is behind their success?

The Brazilian's Historic Season

Brentford's decision not to sign another striker was in part down to timing, with one forward's move not going through until deadline day.

But they also knew they had a £30 million striker already waiting to go.

Igor Thiago joined from Club Brugge in the summer for a then-record fee, but was hindered by injury in his first campaign, going without a goal in eight appearances.

The 24-year-old has gone about making up for lost time this season, though, with his brace against the Wearside club taking him to 16 league goals – the highest tally by a player from Brazil in a single English top-flight campaign.

Considering the countrymen who have come before him, that is some accomplishment, especially with 17 games remaining.

"He has been a revelation," pundit an analyst said. "He's physically intimidating, quick, powerful, but more skilled than people think. Good with his feet, either foot, he can score off both. You can see he's full of confidence. These numbers are fantastic. He must be so pleased. That's a big compliment to him."

That only Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe have scored more in any of the continent's major leagues to this point shows the level he is operating at.

And it is not just the volume but the timing of the goals that have been so vital for his team.

His first goal against the Black Cats was his 7th opener of the season. Considering how often we are told the significance of the first goal in a game, having someone you can depend on to take that first big chance cannot be underestimated.

Before the game against Sunderland, no player to have attempted at least 30 shots this season has a better shot accuracy rate than Igor Thiago's 59.1%.

He finds the target. Achieve that consistently and the goals will – and have – come.

Considering the struggles he had earlier in life, where he worked as a bricklayer to support his family following the death of his father, perhaps it should be unsurprising that pressure on the pitch is something he takes in his stride.

"The recruitment team deserve a lot of credit for the kind of players they bring in and personalities," Andrews said. "This is really impressive. He is a really special person who has fitted into life very nicely. He has had to forge this path. He has worked for his journey and toiled. He has got real determination about his personality. He is developing his abilities constantly and we are discovering more and more about him. He is a largely all-round centre-forward."

The Manager Showing Doubters Wrong

Their star striker is the man of the moment but Brentford are not and have never been a single-player team.

While they had key individuals – Ivan Toney, Christian Eriksen, Mbeumo and Wissa – under their previous boss, they were always seen as a team stronger than the sum of their parts.

The concern was that once the manager left, that may not be the case, and that the collective quality of Brentford's parts alone might not be enough to avoid relegation.

Consequently, appointing Andrews, with a blank managerial CV, and just a year at the club was seen by those outside the club as a huge risk.

A maiden role is a test for anyone, especially when it comes in the world's toughest league and having made the leap from set-piece coach to the top job.

But given that Ipswich boss one candidate was the only other option that Brentford looked at, they were clearly convinced they had the correct candidate.

So far, as often seems to be the case with the key decision makers at the club, it looks as if they were vindicated.

The new boss won just a single of his first five league games in charge but big home victories against United, Liverpool and Newcastle have followed.

Results that, following their brilliant recent form, could prove increasingly important in the pursuit for Europe.

"We are in fine fettle and playing really well. We are playing with bravery and belief in everything we do with and without the ball," he added. "We are happy with how we are going but we want to keep pushing."

In a league where fourth and 15th are currently separated by just eight points, they have no other option, because things could rapidly look very different.

But, for now, Brentford are beating the odds. And the longer that lasts, the closer to fruition those dreams of Europe will become.